“I want to be clear about the facts,” Kirkpatrick said.

NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick has responded to a letter from Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill urging the city’s police force to fully cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

Murrill’s letter, sent Friday, followed the launch of a large-scale federal immigration enforcement operation in the New Orleans metro area. In the letter, the attorney general argues that some NOPD policies may violate state law and could be interpreted as “sanctuary” policies—rules that limit or restrict cooperation between local police and federal immigration agencies. A state law passed last year prohibits any Louisiana jurisdiction from adopting or enforcing such policies.

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“NOPD must ‘use best efforts to support the enforcement of federal immigration law,'” the letter stated. “I look forward to working with you and NOPD to ensure its policies and actions comply with state law.”

“At this time, I recommend that you immediately direct NOPD officers and staff to fully cooperate with ICE and CBP [Border Patrol],” Murrill added. 

In a statement issued Friday evening, Kirkpatrick insisted the department has been cooperating with federal authorities where allowed.

“There has been some public confusion suggesting that NOPD has not cooperated on immigration-related matters,” Kirkpatrick said. “That is not accurate. I want to be clear about the facts.” 

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She added that she only learned about the letter after a news outlet sent it to her press team for comment. “Once I became aware of the letter, I immediately responded to the Attorney General,” she said.

Kirkpatrick explained that the department is finalizing 37 policies, including a draft immigration policy submitted for federal review last year. She said she has invited Murrill to review the draft to help ensure it meets the state’s requirements.

“My goal is to finalize and approve this policy as quickly as possible,” Kirkpatrick said. “As the Superintendent of Police, the most important thing I can do is that I will fully cooperate with the Attorney General’s Office to ensure NOPD is in full compliance with the law.”